


Road map

by Quin



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Misses Clause Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2019-01-31 21:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12690543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quin/pseuds/Quin
Summary: Haley wants to be more than the vain sister of Emily. She wants to be of value to Pelican Town's community. But she struggles to find a solution.





	Road map

**Author's Note:**

  * For [labellementeuse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/labellementeuse/gifts).



Haley looked from the pile of clothes in front of her to her camera and back. She sighed. She felt stuck: her photos had become repetitive. They always had the same motives, the same plants, the same animals, the same people. She thought the joy of shopping would have lasted longer this time. Her clothes were from Zuzu City, the height of fashion, in vibrant, expressive colours. But nobody in this boring town had even noticed her fine dress and her stylish hairdo.

After seeing all the parcels, Emily had complained that Haley was wasting money on clothes, on something she already had in abundance; that times had changed. Haley still didn’t understand that Mum and Dad hadn’t taken them along on their world trip. Instead they had given Emily and Haley the task to learn how to take up responsibility. Emily had immediately found a part-time job in Gus’ Stardrop Saloon. She even seemed to enjoy it. Haley couldn’t imagine why: an always drunk Pam and Shane, the smell of stale beer, old sweat and overcooked food. It made her shudder and she spent as little time there as she could, even on Friday nights.

Her sister saw something positive in everything. But Haley wasn’t her sister. She wanted to be different, recognized, a worthy member of the community, not a copy of somebody else. But she didn’t know how to do it. Elliott was the poet, Sam, Abigail and Sebastian had their music (which Haley found loud and horrible), Maru her lab, Alex was supporting his grandparents, and Emily even designed her own ridiculous gowns, which she gifted to different villagers. What was left for Haley? It was so unfair and frustrating. In her mind, she tried hard to find a solution, but nobody seemed to notice when she spent less money on shoes or cleaned up the beach from Joja’s ugly plastic bags. At these moments, putting cute tops, nicely cut skirts and a new lipstick colour into a shopping cart made her feel instantly better.

~

Penny closed “The Healing of the Falling Waves” and wiped away a little tear. She leaned against the old oak tree, happy and sad at the same time. Happy that Ella had finally found relief for her severe illness, that she could be together with Tony and start a family. Sad that the heart-warming romance novel had already ended and Penny had to return to reality. No Ella, no Tony waited for her, no one who wanted to share ups and downs with her. She got slowly up to her feet, knowing she had to head home.

There always was a sense of dread when Penny opened the door of the trailer. What was the worst she would find? Dirty, even broken dishes? Mum lying on the couch, yelling at her to be less noisy because she had such a headache? Or Mum passed out in a pool of vomit? Penny was at the end of her rope. Mum didn’t want to be treated by Harvey, she said that wouldn’t bring her job back either. Once Penny had pointed out that she couldn’t be a bus driver when she was hung over every day, but that had totally enraged her mum. The bus line was suspended anyway and Penny tutoring Jas and Vincent wouldn’t make a difference. The money needed to restore the bus stop was too high to be in reach. It was just enough for daily life in their trailer.

It hurt her to see her mother like this. Penny wanted the old, cheerful Pam back, not the one who was screaming abuse at the top of her lungs at her. On days like these, she wanted to leave Pelican Town, start a new life, find sweet love. But Pam was her mother despite everything that had happened and Penny felt responsible for her. She couldn’t leave her like this; she had to convince her one way or the other to stop drinking before alcohol would be her mother’s death. Yet Penny yearned for her own little family. Teaching Vincent and Jas had made her yearning only stronger. But who found a woman attractive who was stuck with her hard drinking mother?

Penny thought back to when the new farm girl had once been in their trailer. Her mother had put her off by shouting at them about why a stranger was doing chores in her home. The new farm girl had stayed friendly with her, but soon Penny had seen her hanging out with Emily during all her free time, and Penny’s hopes for more than just being friends had been shattered.

~

Haley felt cheated. She had assumed it would be a sunny day like yesterday, but now fat drops of rain splashed down on her head and rolled down her face as she hurried back from Pelican Town’s beach. Her curls hung down, lifeless, sticking to her wet cheeks. She tried to push her hair back several times in vain. The strong wind that came from the Gem Sea made it impossible to keep any kind of hairstyle. Even worst, in the attempt to adjust her hair, Haley had probably smudged her make-up all over her face: there had been stains on her hand, and then the rain had also washed those away. So much for waterproof. Haley’s clothes were drenched, and she was soaking wet and linty from cloth in the process of dissolving. It had been an utter waste of time and money.

Haley shivered as she hurried on, barely seeing anything because the rain had become so heavy. The sky, plants, trees, ground, everything blurred before her eyes. She would have run if the wind hadn’t suddenly changed direction, shoving its icy touch into her face. Finally, finally Haley could see the outlines of a building. With what she felt was the last of her strength she leapt forward and grabbed the door handle. Haley basically fell into the house, and then the door was banged shut by another gust of wind.

“Haley?” a voice said. “You look terrible. Come let me help you.” Haley breathed heavily, shook her head and blinked wildly. To her horror, it wasn’t Emily’s face hovering in front of her, but someone else. She wasn’t home. She wasn’t with her sister. It was Penny and she was in the museum, with Gunther giving her a weird glare from behind his aloof counter. Haley wanted to curl up and die. She felt frozen. She already saw herself as the laughing stock of the town. Without saying anything, she let Penny lead her over to the library section of the museum. Penny placed her on a couch and suddenly there was a big, fluffy blanket that appeared out of nowhere. Penny helped Haley dry up as much as possible, giving her a warm smile.

“What were you doing out in this weather?” Penny likely didn’t mean it this way, but Haley felt reproached. She had been so busy preparing her look; she hadn’t paid any attention to the weather forecast.

“I went to the beach. It’s my favourite place. I go there to improve my mood. ” Her voice was a little defiant.

Penny nodded as if she understood, and Haley started to feel a little spark of hope that Penny wouldn’t spread the news all over town at least. “Mine is the library. My head and heart go free with all the lovely books here. I also get new ideas for tutoring Jas and Vincent. It just has the advantage that it is weather-proof.”

Haley shrugged. “And probably doesn’t lose its magic to you.” She didn’t know why she told Penny this. Yet it was somehow true.

“That’s sad to hear. Why do you say that?” Penny asked. She sounded more than nice; she sounded as if she really was interested in the things Haley had to say.

Haley hesitated for a moment. Even though Pelican Town had so few inhabitants, she didn’t know Penny that well. Maybe this was the reason why Haley started talking.

“I’m not sure how to describe it. Everything I’ve done so far, my hobbies, the things I used to be passionate about, they don’t do anything for me. I go shopping because I don’t know what to do else. And afterwards I’m emptier inside than before. Nobody cares if I take the hundredth picture of a beach sunset. It has no community value. I don’t know how to treat patients or grow crops. All the jobs Pelican Town has to offer are gone. Everyone who comes to our house, they talk to Emily, ask her for advice, help of any kind. I wish I knew what to change. I wish I knew how to enjoy what I am doing, how to be seen as more than the vain sister of Emily.”

There. She had spilled it all. Once the words had begun, Haley hadn’t been able to stop them anymore. Wary of how Penny would react, Haley tugged at the blanket.

Penny took Haley’s hands in hers. “I’m sorry you feel this way. I didn’t know. Sometimes understanding is the first way to change your situation. I think it takes time to create a solution. Be a bit more patient with yourself. You could create a road map with different scenarios, ideas, then afterwards get some feedback from someone you trust and in the end refine your plans.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Haley snapped, suddenly ashamed that she basically had told a stranger her most secret thoughts. She had to retreat as fast as possible and in this case offense seemed to be the best defence. “You can talk. Look at you and your drunkard of a mother. You’re stuck with her in that stinky old trailer, doing all the work for her like a puppet. If you had a real plan, you would have already gotten your independence from stupid Pam. Don’t tell me what to do, you silly goose.”

Haley got up, rushed out into the storm, trying to ignore the sting to her heart when she heard Penny burst into tears.

~

Haley locked herself into her room. She didn’t want to face anyone in the entire world. She wished she could erase yesterday from her life. She was ashamed that she had been so mean to Penny. You couldn’t choose who your mum was. And no matter what happened, shouldn’t you love your mother? It wasn’t Pam’s fault that there was no money left to support the bus service to Calico Desert. And Pam had no rich parents like Haley did. Pam drowned her sorrow in beer, not in clothes. She was lucky that she had such a caring daughter as Penny, who had been nice to Haley even though she had her own real problems to deal with. It was not Penny who had been ridiculous, it had been Haley. Now if Haley only knew how to make it up to her again. She took a sheet of paper and a pencil, chewing unwittingly at the end of it.

~

Thank Yoba, Emily had refrained from pressing Haley why she stayed in her own room whenever Emily had been home. She probably thought it was one of Haley’s sulky moments.

As soon as Haley heard the front door close behind her sister, she waited another five minutes before she came out. Haley went straight into Emily’s room. She was glad that her sister had that much trust in her. Haley had never gone through Emily’s belongings before. Until recently, she hadn’t been interested in her sister’s attempts at being a fashion designer.

Haley browsed again through Emily’s sketch book and nodded, a little more content. Although the majority of her emotions were ruled by anxiety, she knew she shouldn’t wait any longer. So Haley returned to her room, grabbed her own notebook and her handbag. She had to hurry to be in time. Hopefully, nobody would try to delay her. Most of the villagers didn’t stop for conversation, but sometimes it seemed like they were having an extra polite day, or it was of all people her friend Alex… she didn’t have time for this right now.

Haley was already out of breath when she reached the farm. She was lucky that Emily’s girlfriend was so busy tending the animals that Haley could buy a poppy and a melon without raising any further questions. Haley ran back, praying her instincts would immediately lead her to the right place.

Haley looked near the graveyard, but no one was to be seen. The museum was closed. There was a note that they had an electricity problem. Haley dashed to the river; nothing. She sneaked around Gus’ saloon and behind Dusty’s box to have a look through the trailer’s window. No Penny; there was just Pam snoring on the bench. Before she could wake Penny’s mother up, Haley walked quickly away, utter disappointment rising up in her chest. Penny was nowhere to be found.

For a while Haley wandered aimlessly through Pelican Town without actually seeing a single person. The sun slowly began to set. Haley was convinced that starting from tomorrow she would have overstrained the timeframe in which she could apologise to Penny. That maybe Penny would accept, but in the end she wouldn’t want to hear what Haley had to say.

Haley settled on a bench near the community centre. If she went to the trailer one last time would Pam be still there or would she already be in the Stardrop Saloon? Would Penny have company from somebody else? She cursed her bad memory. She needed to speak to Penny alone.

Haley got up again when somebody cleared their throat next to her.

“I think you forgot this?” Penny held up the poppy and the melon.

Haley gasped out in surprised when she realised that she was sharing the bench with Penny.

“No, no, they’re for you,” she stuttered, completely taken unaware.

Penny looked at her blankly.

“As an apology,” Haley panted, having forgotten her long prepared I-am-so-sorry-speech. “I hope you like them. Yes? Yes? I mean, I even made a road map.”

“Apology for what?” Penny inquired.

“For what I said. The other day. Calling you names, insulting your mother. That was cruel and unfair.”

Penny weighed the melon in her hands, a thoughtful look on her face. “Though part of what you said is true. I am stuck with my alcoholic mother.” She sounded sad. “Anyway, thank you so much for the gifts. I really love these. Apology accepted.”

“That’s very kind of you, Penny,” Haley replied, still embarrassed. “Anyone else might have not been so easy on me. I shouldn’t judge other people because I don’t want to be judged by other people, too. It’s true what I told you back at the museum even though it’s awkward for me to admit. That’s the reason why I was so mean to you afterwards. And then I felt really bad. I am also sorry it took me so long to come and see you. I didn’t know how to apologise to you until now.”

With trembling hands, Haley retrieved the notebook from her handbag. “I hope you don’t think it’s a stupid idea. And I am not even sure if it works out. If everybody we need to involve agrees on the concept. It might be worth a try… or not. Well, I made a road map. As you said. I made one. Or is that called a clutter of ideas or brainstorming? Whatever.”

Haley opened the first page; avoiding looking at Penny out of fear she might disapprove. “You see, I have so many clothes I actually don’t wear. They went out of fashion, didn’t fit me that well or don’t match with anything else in my wardrobe. It would be a shame if I threw them away or they kept lying around. I also don’t think anybody here in town would like to wear them second-hand and they don’t bring much money if I sell them online either.”

Haley took a short breath to check whether Penny would interrupt her, but the other girl was a patient listener so she continued. “But the cloth can be reused. There my sister comes into play. She can use the cloth for her fashion designs. She could tailor new clothes, I would take some pictures, we could put the designs on a website and sell the sewing patterns. Maybe later we would have enough money to buy more cloth and sell the clothes instead. Does that sound silly? I mean, Emily would need to agree to it. And we would need somebody for building a website. Perhaps Sebastian. And of course, a model for the clothes. Not me. Then everybody would continue thinking I am vain. Somebody pretty, but modest and down-to-earth, representing the good values of Pelican Town.” Haley began to turn red. “Ugh, I talk too much. Please say something, Penny.”

Penny smiled. “It doesn’t matter what you call it. I’m glad to hear that you got some good thinking time that made you feel better about yourself. It’s very sweet of to include your sister in your plans. I know you two are very different, but I’m certain she’ll be happy when you give her new material. What I just don’t understand is why do you two need more money? I hope the question isn’t too personal, but Gus already pays Emily. Do you want to have a way to add something to the household’s income?”

“No, it’s not that.” Haley shook her head. “Yes, it would be nice to support our family and I don’t want to be a selfish brat anymore, it would be a good way. But, I thought about even something greater, something more important. Earn enough to repair the bus stop. That would benefit everyone.” Haley could hear her voice speeding up because she was barely able to contain her flustered feelings. “We could have a better trade with Calico Desert, there would be a new excursion destination, Emily could visit her friend Sandy and vice versa. And it would give your mother her job back. She would have a purpose driving the bus to and back to Calico Desert, right, and then she would have a reason to stop drinking and you wouldn’t need to take care of her all the time? Is that unrealistic? I don’t want anybody to ridicule my plan, so please, please help me, Penny.”

When Haley finally glanced at Penny, she realised that Penny looked astonished. Her mouth formed a little O. Eventually, she closed her mouth. “Haley,” she asked, “are you also doing this for me?”

“Well, I’ve thought about a lot of things these past few days. About me, but, yes, about you as well. You are quite the opposite of me. I was forever complaining about mundane things even though I have a comfortable life with my sister in our parents’ house while you never say a word about your situation when others are in need. It’s high time that you get some support, and why not from me?”

Penny’s eyes seemed to sparkle. “I have no words. It makes me feel less alone, less helpless when it comes down to Mum. I’m not sure either if your plan will work, but I honestly believe this is an amazing idea. It’s a start and if we get some of the other villagers to help as you suggested, it will make things easier. Perhaps we need to refine the plan here and there, but together we will be more creative.”

“I’m so relieved that I could make you feel better. I don’t want you to be sad since you already carry a burden and then me also being nasty because I can’t cope with myself.”

Penny gave her a little hug which made Haley all warm and fuzzy inside. “See,” she told Haley, “you also found something new for yourself.”

“I suppose I did. Shall we tell my sister next?

“Yes, but I have one more question before we leave. If you are not the model for the clothes, do you want Emily to do it? I reckon we would need to gather arguments to do some convincing. Showing her designs is one thing, but herself in her designs, I think she would rather have you do it.”

“No, neither of us. I was referring to you earlier,” replied Haley, glad that the sun had already set and Penny couldn’t see the warm blush on Haley’s face. She fidgeted, but then Penny took her hand firmly.

“Then let’s go,” she said.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my beta reader!
> 
> I am not sure if this already counts as F/F or if this is more pre-slash. I hope you enjoy it anyway.


End file.
